One of our Locarno Film Festival favorites, Days of the Bagnold Summer marks the feature directorial debut of Simon Bird, best known for his work in The Inbetweeners. Described by our own Leonardo Goi as a gentle, heartfelt portrait of a preternaturally shy middle-aged mother, and her moody, laconic metalhead son, it’s a chronicle of the summer they’re forced to spend together once the boy’s much-awaited trip to the States falls through. Led by Monica Dolan and Earl Cave, Nick’s son, and graced with original tracks by Scottish band Belle and Sebastian, the first trailer has now arrived ahead of a U.K. digital release this June.
“I knew when I read [Joff Winterhart’s book] that it felt very interesting and unique, and I was very aware that we wanted to retain that,” Bird said to us. “And again, it would have been really easy to ditch that and say: this is Daniel’s story, or: this is Sue’s story–which would have made it much more of a genre film, something people could understand, and would be easier to sell. But we were very careful to ensure it stayed even-handed. Even down to the script: we actually counted how many pages were Dan’s scenes, and how many were Sue’s scenes. Just to make sure. Just because we’ve all been through teenage years, and a lot of us will go through the parental admin as well. “
See the trailer below via Empire and read our review here.
Sue (Monica Dolan) works in a library. Daniel (Earl Cave) eats crisps and listens to Metallica. This was the summer Daniel was due to spend with his dad and his dad’s new wife in Florida. But when they cancel his trip at the last minute, Sue and Daniel suddenly face the prospect of six long weeks together. An epic war of wills ensues in the unassuming battleground of their suburban home as they each reckon with private tragedies – and pursue their personal passions.
Days of the Bagnold Summer arrives digitally in the U.K. on June 8.